5 necessary ways to simplify your life

Are you ready for a fresh start? A new beginning?

I am! I don’t make new year resolutions. I choose to adjust my goals throughout the year. I also toss out a lot of expectations of how my life should be and just live day to day.

It’s a balance, isn’t it?

Here are 5 necessary ways to simplify your life:

Pray, Meditate, Reflect, Journal.

Quiet time to think things through is necessary. Sometimes, I need to talk to my husband, my Mom, my daughter or my friends. Schedule time each day to pray, meditate or reflect. Pick a quiet place to just do a brain (or heart) dump. Pray out loud or journal or just think. Ten minutes a day will be so worth it. You are worth your thoughts and feelings.

Limit social media.

The comparison game is easy to play. Comparing your life to what others put on social media (Facebook, Instagram, Pinterest, Twitter, etc) sucks the contentment and gratitude you should be feeling about your life. I found I would get on social media about once every hour. I don’t necessarily compare myself to others, but I complained about not having enough hours to complete things I wanted to do. When I checked myself on how much I was on my phone texting and looking at social media, I found a lot of time to do other things, like read a book!

Create boundaries with your friends and family.

Do you hate telling people no? I do! In 2018, I had a hard time adjusting to my new life being cancer free. I felt that I was required to say yes to every event, every task, every person. Perhaps it was survivor’s guilt or the freedom of not having to go to treatment.

I let slide a lot of bad behavior towards me from my family and “friends”. Being grateful for the people in my life, I didn’t create boundaries. Reminder, you are your own advocate for what you will or will not tolerate from the people in your life.

Organize, Organize, Organize.

I finished a complete organization and cleaning of EVERY cabinet and drawer and closet in my home. It was time consuming and mentally exhausting. BUT totally worth it. I figure the time it took me to complete the organization of my home (three days!) saved me money and time for the rest of the year.

Along with being organized with my home, I made a list of appointments I need to make for my health (dentist, medical, vision) and birthdays and goals. Having a list with all these items in one place helps me to keep my head clear.

Budget.

My husband and I have budgeted our money for the past 26 years. We have budget meetings and set financial goals each month. With a budget we are able to know exactly where we are spending our money, we avoid late fees, we have no overdrafts, we are not wasteful.

When my home is organized, I save money by not buying items we don’t need because we can’t find something. Meal planning is easier when I know what I have on hand.

Peace of mind and a simplified life occurs when I put these 5 ways into my life. What works for you? Do you have any suggestions on simplifying? Let me know. I would love to hear you ideas!